Here Come the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized

A new epic from The Decemberists

The Hazards Of Love is the second conceptual album of The Decemberists, a band from Portland, Oregon, and the second on the major label Capitol Records after the 2006 release The Crane Wife. The collective’s inimitable style needs no presentation – Colin Meloy and other four musicians’ music serves them only a means to unfold their fantastic and fairy stories in front of the listeners. The new album was recorded with the producer Tucker Martin who made the arrangements even more realistic. As for the style the front man has thought that the previous album was way too powerful and almost insane so this time he has chosen some more tranquil British folk tendencies. The record’s idea came when Meloy found the 1960’s renowned British vocalist Anne Briggs’ album The Hazards Of Love, on which there was no song called like that and he decided to write it. As a result the inspiration brought him to creating a new epic that got called The Hazards Of Love.

The events on The Hazards Of Love unfold from one track to another

Considering the specific character of the album The Hazards Of Love several guest vocalists have participated in the recording: Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond, Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond and some others. The new story’s plot is as follows: a maiden named Margaret is kept in the forest by someone called William, a shape-shifting creature who is also her fiancée. Besides there is a forest queen in the tale and three ghost kids obsessed with revenge. The events unfold little by little from one track into another and the pauses between them are made only for the sake of the album format. The first of the 17 numbers is the overture named Prelude, a splendid orchestra piece preparing the listeners for the following performance. There are all in all four title compositions on the album and the author’s voice sounds on them constantly repeating one thought that nothing is always easy and simple in love. Thus the first of them The Hazards Of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle The Thistles Undone) is filled with the hostile sense of trouble and threat. Female vocals have also proved wonderfully appropriate here: such tracks as Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga) with Becky Stark’s voice and The Queen's Approach on which Shara Worden makes an appearance add realism to the general picture and even more of the strong emotions. The climax of all the horror is The Rake's Song embodying Colin’s characters’ darkest side and performed in such a lively and emotional manner that makes it breathtaking. Contrasting with it is the gentlest moment Isn't It A Lovely Night?, a beautiful and simultaneously not too kind song. The album closes with the composition The Hazards Of Love 4 (The Drowned), on which the story comes to its light and yet sad finale.

Mystics, sullen images and a beautiful belief in love

For those who is well acquainted with The Decemberists’ creative work the new album will definitely seem more than a worthy continuation of The Crane Wife. This time around the musicians have gone much farther and made something which almost sounds like a mini rock opera. An incredible variety of instruments once again rocks imagination: acoustic and electro guitars, accordion, piano, organ – all of them provide splendid opportunities to create the inimitable magic atmosphere. Of course quite a number of professionals have worked on the record and both each separate track and the creation as a whole produce an impression of faultlessness. The arrangements here never disharmonize with the vocals and the vocals never fail to render all the necessary emotions. Yet naturally as it is always true about The Decemberists it is the lyrics that play the main part on the record. The story told on The Hazards Of Love is filled with mystics, sullen images and a beautiful belief in love. Hopefully this unique band’s following creation will not keep us waiting too long and prove no less impressive.